Racial HD counting towards ECL. What?!

[Starbuck_II]

You GROSSLY undervalue the equipment and stats. (But then so does WotC).

Take a monster like a succubus or erinyes, assign elite abilities and decent feats, the save DC against its dominate just went up by +4 or more, it gained a fair number of HP and its saves and AC are both better. Then add gear. It's AC is +7 or more (mithral chain shirt + other items), and it's save DCs go up by yet ANOTHER 2 points to +6 over standard.

Melee builds do the same thing, +5 or so to attacks and damage, +5 or more to AC, +1 or 2 HP/HD, + to all saves.

DougL

But even NPCs should be using at least 2/3 of their gear directly (rest should be consumerables like potions).

So gear is included irregardless, but PC ones would get more.

And what of half-casters? Gishes? Skill monkeys? Not everything is a beatstick or a caster.

1/2 caster and skill monkeys are LA +1 for Ogre (thus 1/2).

Remember Ogres aren't skill monkeys.

Pixies are skill monkeys so the max LA is for them (+4). Same for 1/2 casters.
Casters +3.
Melee +2.

So Fighter takes levels in wizard, now gets more LA (when they gain that level), they shouldn't have tried to bend the system.

Gishes use worst rating (otherwise it would be too strong).